You’re not ready — physically, psychologically, or financially — for the commitment and risk of a full-fledged rhytidaectomy, otherwise known as a facelift. Can PDO threads lift and bring form back to your face? Find out more here.
With all of the noninvasive and minimally invasive facial rejuvenation techniques now available, a surgical facelift is usually a last resort. Although marvelously effective and long-lasting when well performed, facelifts come with some serious risks, including infection, poor quality results, and a long recovery period.
One of the most effective ways to turn back time without turning to the scalpel is with PDO threads, which have been used safely and beautifully since the 1980s. This innovative solution to facial sagging gets its name from the polydioxanone (PDO) material that composes the uplifting threads.
At SeeBeyond Beauty in Scarsdale, New York, our highly skilled aesthetic medicine physician and founder, Joon Lee, MD, is dedicated to making sure that you find the absolute best rejuvenation technique that gives you the results you want without surgery. In many cases, PDO threads could be your solution.
Do you have mild-to-moderate sagging?
One of the most frustrating signs of aging is sagging or loose skin, especially in the midface and jowls. While you may be able to temporarily smooth away fine lines with a moisturizer, no cream or lotion can tighten or lift your skin significantly.
Fillers, such as Juvéderm, help alleviate sagging by filling in the volume that’s been lost to age. However, once you’ve lost a significant amount of volume — including if you’ve recently lost weight — fillers may not be sufficient to recontour and lift your face.
A surgical facelift works by physically lifting sagging tissues and then cutting away the excess. In this way, your skin isn’t just higher and more lifted, it’s also tighter.
While no skin gets cut away during a PDO threads procedure, the results for light sagging are similar because the threads rely on two mechanisms of action. First, they physically lift the skin and underlying tissues to a higher position on your face. Second, the presence of the threads stimulates your skin to produce more collagen and elastin in the area.
Although you see an initial lift as soon as your PDO thread procedure is finished, your results improve over time as your body produces more collagen where we place the threads to firm up, volumize, and tighten your skin.
Are you scalpel shy?
Not many people look forward to going under the knife. With PDO threads, you don’t have to undergo general anesthesia or have your skin cut away. Instead, we simply make a very small incision in the areas where we’re going to tighten your skin.
We then insert a very narrow tube known as a cannula and pass the PDO suture through it. We pull upward on the thread to lift and tighten your sagging skin, remove the cannula, knot the thread, and suture it in place.
You don’t need any stitches afterward; that’s how small the incision is. The PDO suture threads remain underneath your skin, and your lifted skin remains held in place with the fresh, new collagen the threads bring about.
Is surgery too risky for you?
If you have physical problems that would prevent you from undergoing general anesthesia, such as cardiac disease, PDO threads may be the ideal alternative. We simply numb your face and then administer a local anesthetic to keep you pain-free. Not only do you stay awake, you won’t even be sleepy.
Are you too busy for downtime?
One of the biggest drawbacks of a facelift is that it’s major surgery. The recovery time not only is lengthy, it’s intense. You must keep your head elevated, you may need to wear drainage tubes, and it takes many months before you can really see your results.
In contrast, a PDO thread lift requires no real downtime. Your face may be sore and slightly swollen for a day or two. You need to be careful and gentle with your rejuvenated skin. Until we clear you to do so, don’t:
- Rub or massage your face
- Sleep on your side or stomach
- Go into a sauna or spa
- Engage in vigorous activities
- Sip through a straw
You come back for a consultation after about a week so we can check your healing, and once we give you the OK, you can return to normal activities. You just look and feel a lot better when engaging in them than you did before!
To find out for sure if you’re a candidate for PDO threads, set up a consultation with our expert team today by using our online booking form, or just phoning or texting us at 914-533-1802.